The year that was

As we count down the days to the holiday season, let’s take a minute to reflect on some of the highs and the lows this strange year has brought the Association.

We had a rough start to the year, with COVID-19 still making life difficult and changing what we had come to assume was ‘the norm’. We all had to adjust to new health and safety protocols under the ‘Traffic Light System’, which meant the postponement or cancellation of many New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) National and Regional events, including the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), Conference and Expo. Traditionally held in person, during May or June, we were fortunate to be able to postpone our AGM, until it could be held, via Zoom, in June. Our ever popular Conference and Expo took place in November – our first ever spring conference. While there were a few restrictions in place, we were lucky to be able to go ahead with the regional rounds of the NZCB Apprentice Challenge Sponsored by ITM. 95 talented and dedicated carpentry apprentices competed in a tough eight-hour challenge. Of them, 19 apprentices went on to represent their region at the National Final, held in conjunction with the NZCB Conference and Expo, in November. The level of skill that apprentices put into the challenges, their builds, and the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race, was outstanding! You have all ably represented your regions and done yourselves, your families, and your employers proud.

We were also fortunate to hold our Regional AGMs along with our first dedicated Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee workshop, aimed at discussing the basics of the new Halo Guarantee product with members and gathering feedback on some of the challenges our members have been experiencing. Other regional events were significantly affected but, as restrictions have eased, it is great to see our regional committees getting together and bringing back some old events, while also introducing some new and exciting ways to reconnect with our members – and their families. Great effort guys! Well done also for the effort our members and regional committees have put into regional, non-NZCB and NZCB fundraising events. You are all inspiring, generous people, and I’m sure the money you raised and donated has been greatly appreciated by your chosen charities.

The biggest event in the NZCB calendar, our annual Conference and Expo, was set to go ahead in May, but had to be postponed to November. It was another successful, well-attended event, and we are very grateful to our sponsors whose support made it possible. A huge thank you also to everyone who attended and helped make this another memorable Conference and Expo.

Farewells and new faces

With sadness and gratitude, in March, we farewelled an exceptional leader, mentor, colleague, and friend, long-standing Chief Executive, Grant Florence. Grant has chosen to embark on a new chapter, after being with the Association for 10 years. His dedication and commitment saw him not only muck in with the team at the National Support Office (NSO), but also lead them to some outstanding achievements, making improvements that have ultimately led to the growth and development of the Association. Following Grant’s departure, NZCB Board Independent Director Katrina Bach stepped in as Acting Chief Executive for both NZCB and Halo Guarantees Limited, before Malcolm Fleming was appointed by the NZCB Board in May, to join the team at the NSO as the NZCB Chief Executive. Malcolm came to us with experience and knowledge of the building sector, having held the position of Chief Executive Officer for the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) for seven years.

Halo Guarantees Limited Board also appointed a new Chief Executive, David Lee, who joined the Halo Guarantees Limited team in August. David has extensive experience in insurance and financial services. His previous roles have included Group Chief Executive Officer of Capital Insurance Group Limited, General Insurance Underwriting Manager for the Medical Assurance Society New Zealand, and commercial underwriting roles with Farmer Mutual Group.

NZCB divides New Zealand into 22 regions, with each region led by a president and supported by a local committee – roles that are voluntary. This year’s NZCB regional AGMs brought many changes, with 10 presidents stepping down and 10 new/returning presidents being elected in their place. A massive pat on the back and thank you needs to go to all NZCB presidents, both past and present, for the amazing effort you put into your regions and the support you show your members.

This year saw one of the NZCB Board Member Director positions come up for renewal, a role that had been held by Taupō’s Ian Chamberlain, of Chamberlain Carpentry & Joinery, for the past three years. Ian was also our Chairperson at the time. Ian chose to stand for re-election and a ‘Call for Nominations’ went out to members, with one other person being nominated: Garry Nott of Tasman Homes (Nelson) Limited. Garry was elected as our new Member Director in the subsequent vote.

Following the above changes, the NZCB Board elected NZCB Board Member Director Nick Farrelly as the new NZCB Board Chairperson (the Association’s 12th Chairperson), and NZCB Board Member Director Mike Hayward took up the position of Vice Chairperson.

Decades of service recognised

At this year’s Conference and Expo, we celebrated some outstanding achievements of our members, with 75 achieving 10 years of membership, and 52 members achieving 20 years. We also thanked and acknowledged 10 members with Certificates of Appreciation for their exceptional contributions to the Association, predominantly within their respective regions. Two members, Dave Whitehead and Brent Chatterton, were awarded Honorary Membership for significant contributions to NZCB over the years, and Bob Monteith (who was already an Honorary Member) was awarded Life Membership for his extraordinary contribution to NZCB over the years. See pages 38 to 41 for a list of these members.

At the other end of the scale, this year’s new memberships have exceeded expectations. With a month still to go, we have welcomed 10 new individual members and 274 new business members. Another positive year.

New relationships built

This year has also meant the start of many new relationships for the Association, including a new preferred employment lawyer for members, Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers, as our previous employment lawyers chose to pursue a different path. We welcomed two new National Partners and three new Affinity Partners (Carter’s Tyre Service, Warehouse Stationery, and HazardCo), while also strengthening and improving current agreements to bring members better deals and services. While the NSO has said goodbye to a couple of exceptional staff during the year, we have welcomed some equally dedicated members to our team. More details of recent changes can be found on page 10. With significant growth of our South Island membership, our NZCB South Island Support Office, which had been based in the home office of Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager Nick Matthews, has moved to new, dedicated premises. The new office is one of 12 businesses located in B-18 Studios, in Addington, Christchurch.

Revere Volume 6 goes nationwide

Designed and published by NZCB to celebrate and display some of New Zealand’s most inspiring homes (as built by NZCB members), Volume 6 of Revere magazine was published. Over 10,000 copies were printed and distributed nationwide, to members, partners, Air New Zealand Koru lounges, architects, lawyers, various media outlets, and offices of influence, as well as being posted electronically on well-known websites, Houzz and Issuu – reaching over 200,000 people. Our members’ builds from Revere are also used in social media posts by the Association, and in our commercials and ad campaigns. Submissions for Revere Volume 7 are still open – see page 14 for more information. With the success of our ‘Let’s build something special’ commercial in 2021 (after which we saw an increase in traffic to our NZCB website and the highest recorded increase in the number of ‘Find a Builder’ searches), another campaign to sell the skill of our members was put together. Again, the source of our featured homes was the Revere magazine. This year’s campaign included a range of properties including tiny homes, boat sheds, modern homes, and beautiful renovations. The new online commercial went live at the start of August and has been displayed on Google, Facebook, Instagram, TV OnDemand, and in programmatic advertising. A new advert was also created and is being used in various media and other homeowner-targeted magazines.

As you can see, it’s been a pretty big year – and I’m sure I have missed a few things! But thank you everyone who has contributed to the Association this year. Your effort, commitment, and support are greatly appreciated.